Currently a lot of emphasis has been placed on smart munitions which can find targets based on certain emissions, either active or passive, from the targets. Several of the new anti-vehicular, for example armor vehicles, munitions, in honing onto their targets, utilize either thermal or millimeter wave sensors, or a combination of both. Therefore, to protect, or at least to increase the survivability of an armor vehicle such as a tank or an armored personnel carrier, a decoy which could attract or confuse the smart munitions is needed.
Decoys which can emit a thermal signature are known. Examples of this type of decoy are disclosed U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,240,212 to Marshall, et al.; Booth 4,346,901 and Regelson, et al. 3,623,727. In the '212 patent, a technique for simulating the thermal appearance of an object target is disclosed. In the '901 patent, a thermal target which is made from a sheet of resistive material, layers of insulation and screen-like continuous electrodes is taught. Neither of these targets is meant to be used as a movable decoy. In the '727 patent, a thermal decoy to be towed by an aircraft is shown. However, this decoy requires an airframe and a number of components which would render this decoy to be quite expensive. In addition, the '727 decoy is meant only for thermal detection.
Therefore, there exists a need for a simple and economical decoy which can be towed on ground by a vehicle and which can confuse both thermal and radar sensors.